Diabetic Holiday Sides and Salads

Round out your holiday meals with these low-sugar, low-fat, and high-flavor side dishes.

Photo: Randy Mayor

Broccoli, Cheese, and Rice Casserole

Broccoli casserole is always a popular menu items for holiday meals. This one is slightly high in sodium because of the cheese and the canned cream of mushroom soup, so if you need to cut back on sodium even more, use a low-sodium soup.

Smashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives

Rosemary Green Beans

Perk up fresh green beans with rosemary, green onions, and grated lemon rind, and add crunch by topping with toasted pecans. All of these simple flavors come together perfectly to make an ideal side dish for turkey, beef, or pork.

Cheesy Squash Casserole

If a cheesy squash casserole is a tradition on your holiday table, this low-fat version won't disappoint. Cook yellow squash and onions together, combine with a low-fat white sauce, then top with reduced-fat cheese and fresh breadcrumbs.

Roasted New Potatoes

Sometimes the simplest sides are the best. Toss quartered potatoes with seasoned breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, then roast until the potatoes are done and the breadcrumb-cheese coating is golden-brown and crispy.

Curry-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Instead of a sugary-sweet, high-fat sweet potato casserole, try these mashed sweet potatoes flavored with curry, cinnamon, cumin and just a tablespoon of brown sugar. A small amount of half-and-half makes them creamy, but they still have only 3.7 grams of fat per serving.

Field Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

Broccoli and Apple Salad

Crisp chopped apple adds sweetness to this crisp red and green salad, with apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard adding tanginess. This is a great salad for the fall holidays because both apples and broccoli are in season. For a creamy version of this salad, try Broccoli Salad featuring grapes, raisins, light mayonnaise, and crisp bacon.

from our partners

Most Popular Recipes

"For one of my birthdays, all of my friends chipped in and gave me the smoker of my dreams, knowing that they would benefit from it. Ever since then, my suburban New Jersey neighbors have gotten to enjoy the smells of my Thanksgiving turkey as it smokes in the backyard."

Applewood chips lend a slightly sweet and fruity flavor to the meat. You can also try smoking the turkey with cherry or alder wood chips for more delicate smoked flavor.

Blended corn tortillas add a delicious masa flavor and give the chili extra body. We like to top ours with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese to add a delicious creamy flavor, but for a hotter, meatier flavor, leave out these toppings. Regardless, this chili is perfect for a cozy night in.